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Looking
Back, Looking Ahead
by Wm. Randol Womack,
DDS, Board Certified Orthodontist
Editorial Director, Orthotown Magazine
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January signals the beginning of the New Year with the College Bowls Extravaganza followed
by the BCS Championship and the NFL Super Bowl! But for Orthotown Magazine, January signals
our opportunity to look back at the past year, through the eyes of our annual survey.
This year the responses were very interesting and also very candid. Last year there were 84
respondents to the survey and this year there were 97 respondents. We extend our sincere appreciation
to those who took the time to complete this year’s survey.
I have attempted to summarize some of the responses and make a few comparisons to last
year’s survey. Please note, participants were not required to answer every question.
We started the survey with “How would you describe Orthotown.com and Orthotown
Magazine to a colleague?” Typical responses were:
- Every issue has a number of topics that I find to be worth the time to read. It is not the traditional
journal with articles that are of little or no relevance to my practice.
- Very practical. Useful clinical resource. Only ortho magazine I read cover to cover.
- Pertinent, current, informational, clinically relevant, preferred reading, well done.
- Discusses the current issues related to orthodontics, and it is interactive.
- Great venue for discussing cases and practice management. Reminds me of the conversations
we used to have as residents.
- Amazing, great Web site.
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What other orthodontic-related publications do you read on a regular basis?
This answer took on many forms with the usual orthodontic publications like American
Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (AJO-DO), Journal of Clinical Orthodontics
(JCO) and Orthodontic Products cited as common responses. Some answers also included international
journals like: Angle Orthodontist, European Journal of Orthodontics, German Ortho
Jurnal, Korean Ortho Journal, British Journal of Orthodontics, New Journal (formerly World
Journal of Orthodontics).
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If no, why not:
- Never have time but the cases are interesting to review and my thoughts on treatment have
always been with the consensus treatment recommended.
- Guilty of lurking only!
- I would like to but haven’t yet. I do read every monthly issue.
- I’d rather look and occasionally comment.
- I find adequate benefit reading everyone else’s posts.
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So the conclusions we can draw from this year’s survey – when comparing to the previous surveys,
indicate we are meeting our reader’s needs and expectations and putting valuable content in
each issue of the magazine. Our readers posting cases has remained in line with last year and we
view this as a valuable feature of having the strongest online presence in orthodontics.
Practice trends are stable indicating no real upward change in 2011 from 2010. Our
January/February issue is focused on practice management, which may be exactly what we all need
to concentrate on as we plan our strategy for 2012. Dr. Ron Roncone recently spoke at the Arizona
State Ortho meeting and his candid comments on the trends in orthodontics are featured in this
issue. He has a very interesting perception of where things are going in orthodontics. Don’t miss it!
The response of preferring to obtain CE credits online indicates that our efforts to increase the
variety and the value of our CE courses remain an important part of our agenda for 2012.
Bottom line is that our business model of creating an online community and publication
“exclusively” for orthodontists is continuing to be widely accepted and valued by the orthodontic
profession. We are grateful for your praise, comments and suggestions. We will continue to remain
true to that commitment for the coming year and we will keep our focus on the issues that are of
utmost importance to the advancement of quality orthodontic treatment and an economically
positive practice environment.
All of us at Orthotown welcome the New Year and the opportunity to continue to provide
our readers with interesting and valuable content. Our wish is for everyone to have a healthy and
prosperous 2012.
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